A four-year letterwinner for the Cardinals from 1983-86, Armstrong opened his career as a tight end, making 33 receptions in his first two seasons at U of L.

With the hiring of Howard Schnellenberger, Armstrong was moved to offensive tackle where he anchored the Cardinal line for the next two seasons.

"I wasn't happy about it to say the least," Armstrong said of his initial reaction to the switch.

Nobody is complaining after a long and distinguished NFL career.

Armstrong did not allow a sack over his final 18 games as a collegian. He appeared in the 1986 Senior Bowl and was named U of L's most outstanding lineman following his senior season.

Armstrong was drafted with the 23rd pick of the first round by the New England Patriots in 1987 to begin an association that continued for 15 seasons.

A seven-time Pro Bowl honoree, Armstrong started 212 games for the Patriots and is the franchise's all-time leader in that category passing Julius Adams.

Armstrong started 212 of a possible 220 non-strike games (including the last 118 consecutive of his career) for the Patriots. The 6-4, 295-pound tackle missed eight contests in 1992 after suffering what was feared to be a career-ending knee injury against the Buffalo Bills.